How to Market a Norfolk Holiday Cottage in 2026

If you own a holiday cottage in Norfolk, you're sitting on something genuinely special. The Norfolk Broads, the wild coastline at Wells-next-the-Sea, the salt marshes of Blakeney, the lavender fields at Heacham — people actively dream about coming here. The demand is real. But here's the uncomfortable truth: dreaming about it and booking your cottage are two very different things.

The UK holiday rental property market is forecast to be worth over £3 billion in 2025 — and competition for a slice of it has never been fiercer. Airbnb, Booking.com, and VRBO dominate search results, gobbling up the top spots that used to belong to independent owners. Meanwhile, guests are booking later (often just two to three weeks before they travel), staying for shorter periods, and shopping around far more carefully before committing.

So if your marketing strategy is "list it on an OTA and hope for the best," 2026 is the year that approach will cost you. Here's what actually works.

The Landscape Has Shifted - Here's What You're Up Against

Let's not sugarcoat it. Individual holiday cottage websites no longer appear prominently in Google rankings - they're simply outcompeted by the websites of the OTAs and major holiday letting management companies. Landlorddirect. That means if your only marketing asset is a basic listing or an outdated website, you're essentially invisible to anyone who doesn't already know you exist.

At the same time, guests are increasingly booking later and opting for shorter stays, while customer expectations remain high, and the quality of accommodation on offer is usually more important than the number of nights. In other words, you need to work harder to stand out, and you need to look the part when people do find you.

Then there's the Airbnb effect. The enduring popularity of online private short-term rentals is stealing guests from independent accommodation providers, and the intensifying competition is putting pressure on prices. Add rising costs, changing tax rules, and guests who are increasingly price-conscious, and it's clear that winging it just won't cut it anymore.

The good news? Most Norfolk cottage owners aren't doing this well. Which means there's a genuine opportunity for those who are willing to invest in proper marketing.

1. Start With a Website That Actually Works For You

Your website is your single most important marketing asset - and for most holiday cottage owners, it's embarrassingly underperforming.

Think about it from a guest's perspective. They've seen your property on Airbnb, they're intrigued, and they Google your cottage name to find out more. What do they find? If the answer is a slow, clunky site with small photos and no easy way to book, they go back to Airbnb and book through the platform — handing over 15–20% of your revenue in commission.

A well-built website completely changes that equation. It needs to load fast, look stunning on mobile, showcase your property with high-quality imagery, and make booking effortless. It should also tell a story - not just list features, but paint a picture of what a stay at your cottage actually feels like. The smell of a wood burner, a sunrise over the marsh, a dog charging into the sea at Holkham. That's what sells.

We build websites specifically designed to convert curious browsers into confirmed guests - not just pretty brochures, but proper booking engines with personality. If your current site isn't doing that, it's not just a design problem. It's a revenue problem.

2. Get Found on Google (Before Anyone Else Does)

Here's a stat worth sitting with: websites that appear on the first page of Google search results are perceived as more reputable and trustworthy, and 81% of marketers report that SEO delivers higher-quality leads than paid advertising. For a holiday cottage, that means ranking for searches like "dog-friendly cottage Norfolk coast," "holiday cottage with hot tub North Norfolk," or "family cottage near the Broads."

The challenge is that local SEO for holiday lets takes real work. It's not just about stuffing your website with keywords. Google's algorithm rewards genuinely useful content, fast websites, and consistent local signals. A well-optimised site can capture guests who are actively searching and ready to book, without paying OTA commission on every single reservation.

The math is simple: every booking that comes through organic search is one you didn't pay a channel commission on. For a property generating £24,000 a year, the current UK average, cutting OTA dependency by even 30% means thousands of pounds back in your pocket annually.

Our SEO work at Wolf Agency is built around exactly this: identifying what your ideal guests are searching for, structuring your site so Google loves it, and creating local content that positions you as the Norfolk cottage to stay at, not just another listing.

3. Build a Brand, Not Just a Listing

Here's something the big OTAs can never offer you: a genuine identity. Your cottage has a story, a character, a history, a reason someone would choose it over the hundred others available that weekend. Most owners never capitalise on this.

Strong branding isn't just a logo. It's a consistent name, a visual style, a tone of voice, and a clear sense of who your cottage is for. Is it a romantic bolthole for couples escaping the city? A boisterous family base for half-term adventures? A peaceful retreat for walkers and birdwatchers? Each of these audiences has different triggers, search terms, and what they need to see before they book.

When your branding is clear and consistent - across your website, social media, Airbnb listing, and email communications guests trust you faster. And trust converts to bookings.

4. Use Paid Ads to Fill the Gaps (Especially Off-Season)

SEO takes time to build momentum, typically three to six months before you see meaningful results. In the meantime, Google and Meta ads can put you in front of exactly the right people, right now.

The beauty of paid advertising for a holiday cottage is the precision. Want to reach couples aged 35–55 within two hours of Norwich who have shown an interest in coastal getaways? You can. Want to promote a last-minute autumn availability to people who've already visited your website? You can do that too.

Guests are now booking later than ever, with many finalising stays just two to three weeks in advance. This makes retargeted paid ads incredibly powerful for filling those frustrating late-availability gaps, particularly in shoulder seasons when occupancy naturally dips.

We run targeted Google and Meta ad campaigns that are built around your occupancy goals, not generic traffic. Whether you want to fill a quiet November fortnight or push your peak-summer availability earlier in the year, we can put your cottage in front of people actively looking.

5. Email Marketing: The Channel Most Cottage Owners Completely Ignore

If a guest has stayed at your cottage once and had a brilliant time, the probability that they'd stay again - or recommend you to a friend - is extraordinarily high. Yet most holiday cottage owners do absolutely nothing to nurture that relationship after checkout.

Email marketing changes that. A simple, well-crafted email list lets you communicate directly with past guests - sharing new availability, seasonal offers, and local updates without paying a penny in commission. It bypasses the algorithms, lands directly in someone's inbox, and speaks to people who already know and like your property.

Think about what a simple "We've just had a last-minute cancellation - fancy it?" email to 500 previous guests could do for your occupancy rate.

We help cottage owners set up email marketing systems that feel personal and warm — not corporate and spammy. From welcome sequences for new enquiries to seasonal newsletters that keep past guests dreaming about their next Norfolk trip, it's one of the highest return-on-investment channels available.

6. The Broader Picture: Stop Relying on One Platform

The most resilient cottage businesses in 2025 have diversified. They use OTAs for exposure but work hard to shift repeat bookers onto their own direct booking website. They invest in SEO so they're not entirely dependent on paid channels. They build an email list to communicate with guests independently. And they have a brand that's recognisable and worth returning to.

Almost 40% of UK holiday let owners are now making their properties available for more days during the year to offset rising costs, while 35% are planning renovations in the next five years. The owners who will truly win in this market aren't just the ones with the nicest properties; they're the ones who market them smartest.

Norfolk is a brilliant destination. The people who want to come here exist. The question is simply whether they can find you and whether your marketing gives them enough reason to choose you over everyone else.

Ready to Market Your Norfolk HOLIDAY Cottage Properly?

At Wolf Agency, we work with holiday cottage owners who are serious about growing their bookings, building their brand, and reducing their dependence on commission-heavy platforms. Whether you need a new website, an SEO strategy, a paid ad campaign, or a joined-up marketing plan that ties everything together, we'd love to chat.